A lot of people born during the 40's and 50's have the circular, pale, discolored spot on their upper left arm that is the scar from the small pox inoculation they received as children.

Returning to the topic......

I tried to read the Little House books when I was in my 20's but would fall asleep.

If it's where most kids got them, it's on your upper left arm. Most (at least back in the late 50's) got them just before going to school - I remember getting mine and comparing it with the other kids when school started.

I don't remember when they stopped being required to start school, but my oldest aunt was always getting sent home the first day (new teacher every year) because they checked for a scar and she didn't have one. My grandmother always sent her back to school the next day with a note saying the reason she didn't have a scar was because she had had smallpox and didn't need the vaccine. I don't know why she didn't send the note the first day - maybe too optimistic that she wouldn't have to.

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"The Universe puts us in places where we can learn. They are never easy places, but they are right. Wherever we are, it's the right place and the right time. Pain that sometimes comes is part of the process of constantly being born." - Delenn to Sheridan: "Babylon 5 - Distant Star"

In the article, it's stated that calling what Mary had scarlet fever makes the most literary sense. However, the book I'm reading, "The Wilder Life," says that there were some things Laura didn't know from her childhood and were therefore inaccurate when she wrote them. I wonder if that was one of the things, or I wonder if it was one of the things she wrote that she knew were inaccurate. From "The Wilder Life" it seems there's a lot of both.

I'm trying to remember the source, but I once read something about Mary having a stroke that caused her blindness.

Yes, I've read that also; the high fever she had during her illness caused a syroke. I don't know if that's accurate or not.

I'd wonder about having a stroke that only results in blindness, and not in any physical impairment otherwise.

I remember reading in an earlier book (maybe the "Laura" biography) that Mary suffered pain/neuralgia and paralysis on one side of the face. You can kind of see it in the one photograph of the girls after the Long Winter. Mary doesn't hold her face the way a normally healthy person would -- there is some sort of droopiness there.

This isn't mentioned in the Little House books, which lead you to believe that Mary was the most beautiful young woman in the world, aside from the fact that her eyes couldn't see. And I started to look at that portrayal, not as a lie, but as the reminiscing of a loving sister. Laura loved Mary and so to her, she always remained as beautiful as she had ever been.

I have it on hold from the library, but don't know how many holds are ahead of me.

I can read an average book in about one to three days if the book is really good/interesting. How long would you say it takes to read this book? Checkout is three weeks and I doubt I can renew it since I'm sure there's a waiting list.